1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to video tape cartridges and more specifically to cartridges having removable tape reels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Video tape cartridges with at least one removable reel are known in the art as described in U.S. Patent to Dickens et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,608. The Dickens et al patent discloses a video tape cartridge having three fixed walls and two hinged "L" -shaped members that cooperate together to define a housing. Such cartridge includes two video tape reels, one of which is removable from the cartridge to permit repair or exchange of the tape in the housing. Reel removal from the Dickens et al cartridge is accomplished by means of one of the cartridge sidewalls having a large removable circular portion in axial alignment with a reel. When the sidewall portion is removed, the aligned reel can be taken out of the cartridge through the hole vacated by such portion. However, this type of tape reel removal is only possible if all the tape is wound on only one of the reels.
Although the above Dickens et al cartridge permits removal of one of the cartridge reels therefrom, it is highly preferable to provide a cartridge from which both reels can be removed in order that there is no necessity for having to wind all the tape on a single reel of the cartridge.